What Do You With the Pieces of a Broken Heart?
by ChurchRoofGirl
Summary: CHERIMON: Alex realises he has feelings for Charlie...but Charlie's already going out with someone. And that someone's Alex's ex. Yep, shameless angsty Cherimon!
1. Chapter 1

_Probably not the best thing I've ever written, but bear with me, my loves!_

"Aww, fuck."  
Liam stuck out his bottom lip and held up his guitar mournfully. A string was coiled up at the end. "I killed her."  
"Her?" Michael was draped over a sofa. He said he was 'investigating some ideas'. Alex had commented that he wasn't, he was 'dicking about with a punk version of _Nellie The Elephant_'. Alex himself was sitting on the floor sketching Charlie, and Ed was drinking tea, staring into space and nursing his hangover.  
"Yeah, her. She's called Kaleigh."  
Alex looked up. "Didn't you go out with a girl called Kaleigh?"  
"No, I went to a ceilidh."  
Michael frowned. "A what?"  
"It's like a rave, but with penny whistles and whiskey."  
"Do you all have to talk so fricking loud?" croaked Ed, swilling his tea in its cup.  
Finally, Alex stood up. "I'm going to get you a new string, Liam. Ed, you need to go home, take an aspirin, and delete that girl from your contacts. Michael, you're not a member of the Toy Dolls. And Charlie, you can blink. We're going to make this damn album!" Alex's inspirational speech was rather ruined by him adding, "Charlie, will you come with me? The stock room's full of spiders."  
Charlie, naturally, stood up and traipsed out of the studio.

It was three seconds after Alex had told the story about the time he had been round at his Grandma's and a spider crawled into his soup, and he had to eat it because he was too embarrassed to say what had happened, that the lights went out. They abruptly stopped giggling. "Alex..." whispered Charlie.  
"Yeah?"  
"I think it's fused."  
"Yeah."  
"Alex..."  
"Yeah?"  
"I've...I've never told you this...but...I'm...I'm...scared...of the dark," the last three words tumbled out, on the back of a blush that no-one saw.  
Charlie could see that, even in the darkness, Alex's eyes were shining, but not with amusement. With concern.  
"Aww, Charlie," he cooed.  
Charlie cleared his throat. "Yeah, well. I'm not four years old. I can manage."  
But still, as Charlie moved closer to Alex, the latter could feel a fast, loud heartbeat. As they made their way through the pitch-black corridor, Charlie moved steadily closer to Alex. Then, he wrapped his arm around Alex's. "For protection," he said, quietly, in as manly a voice as he could muster. Alex stopped. "Charlie..." He couldn't finish his sentence.  
Charlie looked round at him. "What?"  
Alex shook his head and squeezed Charlie's hand. "Nothing. For protection, yeah?"  
He revelled in the warmth of Alex's hand.


	2. Chapter 2

Experimenting a bit here- I wanted a fellow Manc in one of my stories, and I just thought, well, why not? Also, dabbling in some song writing. I didn't put it to music. I'm a geek, but not that much of a geek. Reviews make my day!

"Heeeyyy, Charlieburg!"  
Alex fumbled with the bags, before dumping them all on the floor. He undid his coat and hooked on the hat stand next to the shoe rack. Alex smiled at Charlie's brothel creepers that Liam had tippexed with song lyrics. "Charlie! Have I got apple pie for you!" he reached in a bag and pulled out a cheap frozen apple pie. He glided downstairs. "Oh," he said, simply. Sitting next to Charlie on the sofa was a girl with long blonde hair and green eyes. Alex knew her name- Denise Hay. "Hi, Charlie. Hi...Denise."  
Charlie looked round. "Oh, Alex! We didn't hear you come in."  
No, you didn't, thought Alex, of course not.  
"Y'reet, Alex?" said Denise.  
"Yep. Fine."  
"Talk about arse about face, eh? Caught us reet unawares!" Oh, yes. Preston Denise. Preston-bloody-Denise, thought Alex.  
"Did you get apple pie?" asked Charlie.  
"Yeah, I did."  
"Ah, good! Maybe Denise can have some."  
Like fuck, thought Alex.  
"Yeah, maybe. I'm going upstairs."  
"Making a video?"  
"No, actually. Don't really feel like it." Alex let the subtlety of the remark hang awkwardly for a moment before turning and going back upstairs. As he went, he could clearly hear Denise whispering, "Someone's got a reet arse-on."

Alex threw himself on his bed, the same way he had done as a child and teenager after some argument or other with his mum. He was in a proper, full-on strop. How could Charlie? Bad enough a girlfriend, but his ex? And Preston Denise!  
Alex sighed. Then, he remembered something Liam had said to him once. "You can get mad. You can get even. But I always find the best revenge is to write a song."  
And with that in mind, Alex picked up a guitar.

Two hours later, he had a full A3 sheet of notes and lyrics. Good, he thought. I'm ready. He got his camera and his tripod and set it up.  
"Er...I know I only did a video yesterday, but something's happened...I'd rather not go into it. But...um...anyway, I wrote a song about it. So...here we go.  
_How could you?  
__How could you, I thought  
__Oh, I thought we were friends.  
__How could you?  
__  
You knew how close we were,  
__How much it hurt when it died,  
__Her and her Mancunian slur,  
__I'm not ashamed I cried..._"  
The song lasted about two minutes. "So, there you go. Bit of self-indulgence."  
He leaned forward and switched off the camera.  
Ten minutes later the video was up on YouTube.  
"I'm going for a walk, Charlie!" called Alex.  
No answer, of course.


	3. Chapter 3

_I've already written the next chapter, I'll post it tomorrow. Probably. I've been doing this instead of my homework :(.  
Reviewing is really good manners. Pretty please!_

Alex had cooled down a bit by the end of his walk, and was fully ready to make himself a cup of tea, play some video games and perhaps- just, just _perhaps_- talk to Charlie. But, before that, he checked his emails. "Oh, God."  
Thirty emails.  
Just then, he felt Charlie come into the room. They'd known each other long enough to predict the other's movements, and be able to 'sense' each other. Alex could also tell when Charlie was upset- simply by the rhythm of his footsteps. He spun the chair round. "Charlieburg..."  
"I saw the video, Alex. I know it's about me and Denise."  
Alex didn't know what to say. Yes, of course it was about Charlie and Denise. No, it was just a silly video, a song he'd had in the back of his mind for ages.  
"Alex, do you have a problem with me and Denise?"  
He had to say something. "Yes, yes, I do."  
Charlie blinked, like Alex had just slapped him. "Why? I get it- she's your ex, you were close, and it hurt when you two broke up. But that was six months ago. You said you were over her, and I asked you if it was cool if I ever went out with her, and you said yes. Come on, mate. What's really wrong?"  
Oh shit. Alex suddenly realised why he was so upset. It wasn't because he thought he loved Preston Denise. It was...  
Alex jumped up, grabbed Charlie's shoulders and kissed him on the lips.  
No. No. Don't pull away. If you keep kissing him, you don't have to see him react.  
Alex pulled away. Charlie looked numb with shock. "Alex..."  
He pushed past Charlie. He had to go. Get away from this. He threw open the door and ran into the street.


	4. Chapter 4

_Hope you enjoy. The eiplogue to this is coming soon!_

Alex ran like he'd never run before. He ran like he was being chased by the hounds of Hell. By a hurricane. By thirty armed horsemen. But it wasn't any of those he was running from. It was his feelings.  
He ran blindly, but he found himself, lungs burning, in the park. At half 7, it was empty, eerily so. Alex dropped onto a swing and started moving back and forth slightly.  
What had he done? He'd just bloody ruined the closest friendship he'd ever had all, with a stupid, silly kiss. A kiss that didn't mean anything. "I'm not gay," he reassured himself aloud. Of course not.  
So why had it felt so good?  
Alex suddenly caught up with his situation. He broke down. Tears streamed freely from his eyes, and plopped on the tarmac. "Oh, God!" he wailed.  
What was left for him?

A shadow fell across the swing, elongated by the pink sunset. In the distance, behind the roundabout, stood an unmistakable silhouette. Charlie ambled towards Alex. "Hey, Alex," he said.  
"Ch...Charlieburg."  
Charlie was standing in front of Alex, hands in his hoodie pockets. "Stand up, Alex."  
"Charlie, I can explain-"  
"Stand the fuck up, Alex."  
Alex did so. Charlie walked a little bit closer, until they were nose to nose. "Alex. Alex Richard George Day."  
Oh God.  
Charlie leaned in and kissed him, before pulling away. "Don't stop," whispered Alex, "Kiss me, Charlie Joseph McDonnell, and don't you ever stop..."


	5. Epilogue

Alex woke up with his head on someone else's chest. It took him a moment to remember whose, and when he did, he smiled. He looked up. "Hey, Charlieburg."  
Charlie slowly opened his eyes. "Morning, Alex..." he murmured.  
Then his eyes properly snapped open. "Oh, _shit_. Did we..."  
Alex thought for a moment. "Yeah. We did."  
Charlie smiled. "You're wonderful, you know?"  
"So are you."  
There was a pause. "God, that was mushy!" exclaimed Alex.  
Charlie laughed and they hugged, a happy, awkward hug, all arms and shoulders. "Shall we go downstairs, then?"

Downstairs, Charlie made the tea and they sat opposite each other at the breakfast bar. "I think we need to have a proper talk," said Alex, "No secrets, right?"  
"Right."  
"OK. How many men have you been with?"  
"You're the first."  
"Same here. Does that make us gay?"  
"Bi?"  
"Flexible straight?"  
"Yeah. Flexible straight."  
"And shall we tell anyone?"  
"Not until we've...y'know...a bit more."  
"Yeah, that's a good idea."  
Pause.  
"Sex."  
"You were fantastic, Charlie," said Alex, blushing as he felt himself go hard at the memory. Perhaps it was the courage that the arousal brought him, but Alex leaned in and kissed Charlie, placing his hand on his thigh and rubbing. Charlie moaned slightly. "Alex..." he whispered.  
"Quiet, Charlie."  
"No...I mean," Charlie broke off the kiss and grinned, "Shall we use those condoms?"  
Alex grinned back. "I love you so much."  
"I love you too."  
They ran upstairs.

_So, goodbye! (Yep, Smiths reference) We've reached the end of this little Cherimon journey. Do tell me if you want me to do any more. Thank you to OliveYou7 for the only review on this. _


End file.
